Interpersonal partner violence (IPV) is a worldwide public health problem. As a result of IPV, victims report high rates of physical and behavioral disabilities. Help-seeking behaviors are key to obtaining support on facing and managing IPV. Cultural practices such as machismo, marianismo, and familismo are related to keeping quiet and remaining in an abusive relationship in Latinas. Difficulties in sharing emotions, setting interpersonal boundaries, and communicating needs are also behavioral barriers to seeking help in this population. All these factors are associated with social disconnection which reduces victims’ chances of obtaining support in risky situations. Although several programs have been developed for helping victims of IPV, more evidence on adaptions to particular cultural and interpersonal struggles faced by Latinas’ victims is needed. Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) proposes that therapeutic relationships based on intimacy can help victims of IPV to identify characteristics of those relationships that provide help when they need it. In this theoretical article, several FAP-based strategies aid therapists working with Latinas’ victims of IPV in strengthening clients’ interpersonal functioning and defeating cultural barriers when seeking help. / La violencia de pareja (IPV, por sus siglas en inglés) es un problema de salud pública mundial que genera altas tasas de discapacidades físicas y conductuales. Los comportamientos para buscar ayuda son claves para brindar soporte en el afrontamiento y el manejo de la violencia de género. El machismo, marianismo y familismo son prácticas culturales relacionadas con conductas de guardar silencio y permanecer en una relación abusiva en mujeres latinas. Asimismo, las dificultades para compartir emociones, establecer límites interpersonales y comunicar necesidades también son barreras para buscar ayuda. Estos factores están asociados a la desconexión social que reduce las posibilidades de que las víctimas sean apoyadas en situaciones de riesgo. Aunque se han desarrollado diversos programas psicológicos y sociales para ayudarlas, se necesita más evidencia sobre adaptaciones que respondan a los factores culturales e interpersonales propios de las mujeres Latinas víctimas de IPV. La Psicoterapia Analítica Funcional (FAP) propone que las relaciones terapéuticas basadas en la intimidad pueden ayudarlas a identificar características de relaciones que brindan ayuda cuando ellas la necesitan. En este artículo teórico se describen diferentes estrategias basadas en FAP con el fin de que los terapeutas que trabajan con Latinas víctimas de IPV puedan ayudarlas.

The objective of this thesis was to investigate intersectional (categorical/social) invisibility and the extent to which this phenomenon occurs in a comparison of dominant (i.e., Caucasian), and non-dominant (African-American and Latino) social/ethnic groups. It has been found that intersectional invisibility occurs among African-American women with respect to Caucasian men and women, and African American men (Sesko & Biernat, 2010), but little of this research has been done regarding Latinas. Thus, this experiment aims to not only examine whether Latinas are also subject to intersectional invisibility among dominant (i.e., Caucasian) and non-dominant (i.e., African American and/or Latino) groups, but to determine whether the theory can be extended to perceptions between non-dominant groups such as African-Americans and Latinos. Determining whether intersectional invisibility occurs among Latinas, moreover, may provide theoretical and practical insights of what advantages/disadvantages Latinas may particularly endure as members of the rapidly growing Latino population in the U.S.

Unpacking Voice and Silence: A Phenomenological Study of Black Women and Latinas in College Classrooms

The Other in mainstream U.S. society—in this case, the Latino Other—faces oppressive forces in the journey to find belonging. Latinos are marked by stereotypes, regardless of whether such stereotypes have a factual foundation. Latinas specifically are labeled as submissive servants, maids, or nannies. On the other end of the spectrum, Latinas are exotic and enticing sexual beings that must satisfy white men’s fetishes and lechery. Through this thesis, I will explore what Latina women face as an Other that is paradoxically both rejected and desired and evokes aversion as well as awe. In this creative thesis, in creative nonfiction, poetry, and oral history interviews with Latinas in my life, I will survey and expose stereotypes of Latinas, with the goal of uplifting the voices of such women of color and helping bridge the gap of understanding between the “average American” and their “Othered” Latino neighbors. If the non-Latino American public becomes educated on topics such as xenophobia and anti-Latino discrimination, they may do their part to create a community that is more inclusive and welcomes the ethnic diversity that has always been present in America.

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Latinas face many challenges within public schools. They are a marginalized group that has struggled to overcome the effects of practices that have created entrenched cycles of poverty and educational failure. The development of a critical consciousness has been proposed as a means of resisting and transcending oppression. Freire (1970) defined conscientização, or critical consciousness, as “learning to perceive social, political, and economic contradictions, and to take action against oppressive elements of reality” (p.19). This study reexamined the development and nature of critical consciousness through the use of critical feminist methodologies. Standpoint theories assisted in the development of counter-stories that challenged androcentric perceptions of consciousness. This qualitative study examined how some Latina teachers, working with Latina students, were able to transform an after-school club, lunchtime meetings, and a daylong conference into opportunities for Latina students to reexamine their role and position in their family, culture, American society, and develop a critical awareness or consciousness. What emerged from the findings was an approach used by these particular Latina teachers that elevated the affective domain to footing equal to the intellectual. The participating teachers created a matrix of connection with students that challenged a masculine perception of consciousness. They used socially and culturally located histories and experiences to develop a gendered critical consciousness. What was observed and heard throughout the research process was the unearthing of a consciousness that was decidedly enmeshed in the private arena of the body and identity, in addition to the public domains of politics and economics.

This study investigated the pedagogical and cultural factors influencing how teachers at a STEAM school integrated engineering into mathematics and science for a majority Latina population. The study was based on the guiding proposition: Teachers at a STEAM school in the Borderlands are uniquely positioned to integrate engineering into mathematics and science, and they play a significant role in broadening the participation of Latinas. This instrumental, embedded case study focused on understanding the pedagogical and cultural factors that influenced how teachers at a science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) school integrated engineering, using data from artifact packages and interviews. As a key step toward broadening the participation of Latinas, the study examined how teachers employed engineering-based pedagogies (such as project- and problem-based learning) alongside instructional strategies that supported the cultural backgrounds of Latina students in their mathematics and science courses. The teacher participants were selected from an urban preparatory academy along the southwest border of the United States (U.S.). Mathematics and science teachers were considered embedded units within the case study. Participating teachers gathered curricular artifacts to create a "scoop" package that represented their instruction of engineering in the context of their courses. These artifacts were annotated and used in artifact-based interviews, which served as a primary data source where pairs of participants discussed their past instructional decisions and the factors that influenced how they integrated engineering for a majority Latina population. This study focused on three key factors influencing teachers' instructional choices: state standards, the reinforcement loop, and Cariño. Teachers emphasized using content standards to backward-design engineering-based activities that supported other subjects rather than focusing solely on engineering. Their reform-oriented approach guided this integration. The reinforcement loop, supported by school structures, enhanced teachers' motivation, confidence, and teaching practices, fostering engineering-based learning. Teachers described this loop as a routinized process that also encouraged student engagement through effective classroom management. Ultimately, the five factors were interconnected through the teachers' Cariño (authentic care and respect). Cariño extended beyond simple affection or kindness; it required recognizing students as whole individuals with unique personal and cultural identities. Teachers in the study emphasized that this care had to address students' emotional, psychological, and academic well-being, creating an environment where students felt respected, valued, and a sense of belonging. This comprehensive approach to care was a hallmark of Cariño in education. This study's limitations include its focus on a single STEAM-centric school with ideal conditions for integrating engineering into core subjects, limiting generalizability to schools with different resources, larger class sizes, or non-STEAM focuses. It also overlooked student and family perspectives, despite the critical role of family support in shaping engagement. Methodological challenges, such as unclear artifact submission guidance and disruptions due to teacher schedules, further impacted data collection. Transferability depends on understanding unique enabling factors, such as Cariño, a pedagogy of authentic care emphasizing students' academic and community success. While effective in this setting, its broader applicability to diverse schools with varying dynamics remains uncertain. Future research should explore diverse schools, investigate family involvement in STEAM education, and address methodological gaps to better capture cultural practices and teacher perspectives, ultimately broadening the reach of engineering-based learning. / Doctor of Philosophy / This study explored how teachers at a STEAM school along the U.S.-Mexico border integrated engineering into mathematics and science for a majority Latina population. It examined how pedagogical and cultural factors, including state standards, a reinforcement loop, and Cariño, influenced their instructional choices. Teachers used state standards to backward-design engineering-based activities supporting other subjects and participated in a reinforcement loop through professional learning communities. This loop enhanced motivation and teaching practices, while Cariño—a pedagogy of authentic care—focused on addressing students' emotional, psychological, and academic well-being, fostering a sense of belonging and respect. The study used a case study approach, collecting curricular artifacts and conducting interviews to understand how teachers integrated engineering into their courses. While the findings highlighted effective strategies for broadening Latina participation in STEM, they are limited to the unique conditions of the STEAM-focused school. The results may not generalize to schools with different resources, larger class sizes, or non-STEAM focuses. Future research should expand to other schools in the Borderlands to explore whether these factors hold across diverse settings. Additionally, examining family influences on students' STEM engagement could inform strategies to strengthen support systems for Latina students and other underrepresented groups, inspiring them to pursue STEM careers and creating a more inclusive educational environment.

Latinas represent a large proportion of the United States early care and education workforce, and thus have the potential to wield significant influence over the growth and development of millions of American children. However, the voices of Latina early childhood professionals often are missing in both research and mass media. Instead, social, political, and academic frames cast Latinas as foreign regardless of nationality, uneducated notwithstanding expertise, and passive despite action and influence. This testimonio analysis draws on Chicana feminist epistemology to re-center the perspectives of Latina child care providers and reveal more authentic insights on how they understand and perform their roles within the broader social contexts that define and delimit Latina identity in the United States. The collective account that emerges from their testimonios is one of straddling multiple borders: between influence and invisibility, between the personal and the professional, and between community and isolation.